Browse Data and Analysis

Decision making around GE crops is highly politicized in Germany. The German government is conflicted and has not issued an official statement on the EU Commissions proposal to deregulate the genetic engineering law yet.

Poland opposes the use of genetic engineering in agriculture. Although the current regulatory framework technically allows genetically engineered (GE) seeds to enter commerce, the law stipulates they cannot be planted.

With more than 83 million of the world’s wealthiest consumers, Germany is the largest market for food and agricultural products in the European Union.

In August 2023, after more than a decade of political discussions on the restructuring of livestock farming, a new German law on mandatory animal husbandry labeling went into effect.

On August 2, 2023, Poland regained the status of a country officially free from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).

In early July 2023, after almost 50 years, the first outbreak of Newcastle Disease was confirmed on a Polish commercial farm keeping hens for slaughter, followed by three other outbreaks in the contact farms.

Germany is the third-largest importer of cherries in the world after China/Hong Kong and Russia. From 2010 to 2022, between 52 and 77 percent of the cherries consumed in Germany were imported, with the majority of imports originating in other EU member states.

Germany is by far the biggest market for food and beverages in the European Union. The food retail sector is saturated, highly consolidated, and competitive.

On May 10, 2023, a regulation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development entered into force, reducing biosecurity requirements for raising pigs kept for the production of meat for own use.

Germany is a member of the European Union (EU) and generally follows EU directives and regulations, including those relating to the importation of food products.

This report provides Germany specific information that complements the EU-27 FAIRS Export Certificate Annual Report, which covers the harmonized EU certificate requirements.

On April 15, 2023, Poland introduced an entry ban on certain agri-food products from Ukraine, amid difficult economic situation of famers on a domestic market. Following intensive negotiations with the Ukrainian side, since April 21, 2023, transit of Ukrainian agricultural products through the Polish territory is allowed, while the import ban on agri-food goods from Ukraine is maintained until June 30, 2023.